Buy a new piece of equipment - something really expensive that you'd really like to have. Then, try and come up with an explanation for the wife/husband as to why you "had" to empty the bank account suddenly . THAT my friend, will get the creative juices flowing BIG TIME (mostly in just trying to stay alive for the next 72 hours or so). Now, use that energy to come up with new things to shoot in new ways (just don't turn your back on "you-know-who" while you are doing the photo-thing).

Other than that, and since LSD is illegal, I'm at a bit of a loss myself, but hopefully this little "solution" will give you a bit of a smile, if nothing else . Good luck, and hopefully you'll come up with something soon.

This has happened to me on a number of occasions. What has often gotten me going again is to accept (for the moment) that the creative side is on strike. So I pick a technical probelm to work on, and spend much time and effort (and usually money) honing the chosen technical skill.

What usually happens is that eventually I get so bored I can't stand the "exercises" any more. And suddenly I find myself seeing great stuff again. I guess the pressure to escape from the tedium of the technical routines tends eventually to wake up the old sparkplug again.

Works for me.

Oh, and don't fall into the trap of saying "I've got so little time to do photography today that I absolutely have to find a "significant image" in the first five minutes! That kind of self-imposed pressure can be deadly.

So while I greatly admire pros who can find the time to be creative, I think creativity is easier for us hobbyists!

There may be a great deal of truth in that. I also know that I would enjoy photography a !@#$ of a lot less if I had to do it forty or more hours a week, and it's much more difficult to be creative if you're not enjoying it.

My apologies folks, just trying to grab the attention. What I mean is: on those days when you just can't fire-up your creativity, or just can't find any new ways of composing. Heck, I don't need any excuses, I'm only human....I know that photography is the hobby love of my life...but the last 8 months or so during my non photographic day job have been busier with more responsibility, more hours per day and more days per week. Not complaining...thankful to have a good job. But now, I got a few days off and am raring to go.I'm sure we've all been there done that, so tell us what you do on those spark-less daysjj

Here's another idea. When you go out to a new spot, find a nice place there and just sit for at least a half hour without shooting. Just keep looking around you. After about 15 minutes, you will start to get antsy to shoot because of all the things you see. But... keep waiting. The extra time really gets the juices flowing. It seems to help the brain switch over to the creative side. When you do finally start shooting, you will be seeing stuff you wouldn't usually notice!! It's actually fun and is definitely a good reason to buy the most expensive piece of equipment you can!! :p

Logged

"It took a lifetime of suffering and personal sacrifice to develop my keen aesthetic sense."

My pleasure jj, although my answer wasn't of any real help I'm afraid (a sign that I can get as stuck as the next person and have a terrible time trying to get back on track ).

No, I'm not full time. I gave that a whirl once but found it was a fast way to go broke. However, I shot/shoot primarily landscape (but am adding much more in the way of science-type stuff now that I have that "Biologist" title stamped on my B.Sc.), and Landscape/Scenics is probably the toughest field to try and make a living in. I now prefer to have a decent income from my profession, which allows me to shoot as much for pleasure as for work. I'm also in a bit of a transition period as I've been out of photography for about 10 years so I could finish university. When I got back into it last May, I went digital, so that was a whole new world, and the learning curve has been steep. If (when I start submitting again - which will be once I get a bit more stock) things start to go better than expected as my target client will be a wider base than simply calendars, magazines and books, then I might reconsider, but that's a ways down the road yet.

So, there you have it. Twenty times more than you wanted to know, but you got the "Royal Tour" anyway :laugh: .

I'm a "full-time amateur", and have been for about fifty years. When I first got into photography I considered becoming a "pro", but I met too many pros whose felt straitjacketed by having to make a living from it. My day job is a as a professor of math and computer science, and I expect to retire from that in a year or two, largely in order to be able to spend more time doing photography.

Back in the '60s I had two great workshops with Minor White and one with Paul Caponigro, and I continue to learn from them to this day (many of their lessons seem to require time to "age" properly). I have exhibited a fair amount and sold a number of photos, but I've never bothered trying to develop the necessaary marketing skills to make a living at it.

I'll post some images here as soon as I get my website operating.

And Glenn: Your suggestion is sometimes just the thing to get the plugs sparking. It worked for me when I got my Canon 10D and my first couple of L lenses.

Another of my hobbies is playing the flute, and I once studied flute with Jimmy Pappoutsakis of the Boston Symphony. After a recital once by one of his other students (a much better one than I ever was), Jimmy told me "No professional flutist could afford to put the time in to perform that well."

So while I greatly admire pros who can find the time to be creative, I think creativity is easier for us hobbyists! So, good for you, for letting it get out of hand.